


cafe mocha please

by pastisregret



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baristas, Coffee, Cute, F/M, Ficlet, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-16 21:48:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20609861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastisregret/pseuds/pastisregret
Summary: marinette doesn't like morning shifts at the cafe, but maybe the new hire will change that.





	cafe mocha please

**Author's Note:**

> don't @ me if this is ugly i am, as stated before, working on 4 hrs of sleep sdksdjdsk

Marinette would admit to a lot of things if prompted. Maybe she had trouble managing her time. Maybe she didn’t always show up to things on time, or remembered to turn in assignments when they were due. Maybe she loved too much with her heart, and was caught in a game of give too much and receive too little.

But she was never going to admit an 8AM shift at the coffeeshop was a good idea, or that she was fine with being scheduled to open every damn Saturday.

“This,” she starts, pulling down the chairs from the tables, “is _bullshit_.”

“Come on girl, you act like it’s so bad,” Alya says, hand digging underneath the counter to find a new packet of napkins. Ripping it open, she started in with refilling the holders. “Don’t you remember we get out before it gets too late? I’d rather we open than close, _especially_ when Nino’s performing a set tonight.”

“I won’t lie and say it’s not a relief we aren’t wasting our day here, but I just wish this shift didn’t line up with me training the new hire. It makes it so much more annoying.”

Alya arches a brow, hand half stuck into a napkin holder and watching her best friend lift up another stool. “New hire?”

“New hire,” Marinette confirms, setting down the chair with a loud thud. She winced at the sound, a bit too loud for the absolute crack of dawn. “He’s supposed to show up any minute, and guess who’s assigned to teach him how to work the register and basic drinks?”

“You’re kidding,” Alya says. She’s finally down with the holders, and moves over to the tables Marinette’s already put the chairs down, setting a napkin holder to each one in rapid fire succession.

“Wish I was, but apparently I’m the only person they love to push around here.” Sighing, she heaved down the last chair, her arms already aching from the minutes spent lifting and putting down the seats. Marinette glanced at the wall clock. “He’s due to arrive in five minutes, by the way.”

“Does he have a name?” Alya asks.

“Yeah. Did I remember it? No,” Marinette answers. She laughs, heading to the register in search of what else needed to be stocked. “I’m sure I’ll have all the time to learn it, especially since I’m gonna be stuck to his side today.”

“Do you think he’s cute?”

“He’s gotta be. Why else would they hire a guy as a barista? To actually make drinks?”

“Guess we’ll find out,” Alya says. “Take a look.”

Marinette turns to see Alya’s abandoned putting holders on every table, instead watching the entrance and squinting for a better look past the tinted glass. A guy was on the other side, trying to open a door that hadn’t been unlocked yet. Marinette rushes over, hand grabbing the key and twisting it into the door, unlocking quickly. She swings the door open quickly, and finds herself peering up to meet the guy’s face, well over a head taller than her.

A _cute_ guy at that, just as she had suspected. Eyes flickering to his shirt, a polo collared one with every button undone save for one, Marinette spots a nametag, with a new name printed out onto it.

_Luka_, she notes.

“Hey,” he says, an awkward hand coming out for a half wave. “They said I’d be training today?”

Marinette opens her mouth to answer him, but comes up blank, searching for words she can’t find. Deciding that a nod was good enough, she settles for that and decides it’s well overdue to invite him in. She turns her head as she takes a step back, searching for Alya.

She doesn’t find her. No, instead her eyes settle on the swinging kitchen door, no doubt about where Alya fled off to. Marinette bites her lip, silently cursing her best friend for leaving her alone.

_Although_, she thinks, staring at Luka, _maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to be gifted with._

She smiles, brushing off imaginary dust off of her apron and gesturing for him to follow her. “Come on, let’s get you clocked in and ready for the shift.”

Towards the end of the shift, Marinette finds herself admitting it’s a bit different working with him by her side. He’s attentive, and picks up quickly on what to do without much repeating. A quick mess-up never seemed like one, hands moving fast to correct and redo until Marinette’s sure he’s gotten the majority of the recipes down cold, way faster than anyone she could’ve pictured.

He’s also got something else down, the easiest way to get her cheeks going rosy and her gaze darting off, training on some imaginary target.

Marinette admits to a lot of things, and when he’s tucking his number into her apron, she can admit something else: that maybe, just maybe, morning shifts weren’t so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> mari-cheres on tumblr!!! <3


End file.
